Baseball: Newman’s Brendan Tunink selected by Dodgers in MLB Draft’s eighth round

Brendan Tunink is going from Newman blue and white to Dodger blue and white.

Newman Central Catholic standout Tunink was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball draft.

The speedy 6-foot, 185-pound, left-handed outfielder and Sauk Valley Media Baseball Player of the Year was the 250th player selected.

“Words can’t even explain the feeling right now,” Tunink said. “This is beyond my expectations of everything. Just super happy my name got called.”

Tunink got a call from his adviser ahead of the pick as he was surrounded by family and close friends.

To be selected by one of the premier teams in the game made the wait well worth it for Tunink. He had committed to playing in college at Notre Dame.

“It means a lot. I mean, it’s the Dodgers,” he said. “They have a great, great organization. They have a really good minor league system. You can’t ask for a better team to go to. Super pumped to be a part of that team.”

Tunink has yet to learn what comes next, but he was overjoyed to hear his name called.

“I kind of waited longer than I expected, but that’s OK,” he said. “I got the team that I really wanted. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what round you go, it’s how you perform and compete at that level. I’m just super fortunate to get a really, really good team.

“I’ve got to get some Dodgers gear now.”

MLBPipeline’s Jim Callis called Tunink a “sleeper” after his selection.

“Area scouts were trying to figure out exactly where he might go,” Callis said. “They like the bat. He’s got a decent swing, he’s got the bat speed. … sneaky pop, center fielder.

“You like the bat speed, if he gets stronger there might be some power. So he’s a real interesting one. This could be a really nice pick for the Dodgers here in this round.”

In Tunink’s prep career, he went 18-0 on the mound with a 1.20 ERA, striking out 204 batters in just over 134 innings pitched. He hit .476 for his career with a .604 on-base percentage and slugged .889, hitting 29 home runs with 33 doubles, 10 triples and 116 RBIs. He scored 155 runs and drew 91 walks, stealing 87 bases. He had speed in center field. Newman went 83-32 during his career, a .722 winning percentage.

Tunink is one of only a few players from the Sauk Valley in the past few decades to be selected in the MLB draft.

Seth Blair of Rock Falls was selected in the first round (46th overall) in 2007. Rock Falls’ Jakob Junis was selected in the 29th round in 2011, and Walnut’s Dan Kolb was drafted in the 17th round out of high school in 1993. Kolb opted to attend Sauk Valley Community College and Illinois State before he was drafted in the sixth round in 1995.